Technical Field
The invention relates to an apparatus for dispensing a plurality of liquids, in particular colorants for paints, comprising
a support, such as a turntable or a linear table, defining a plurality of positions, e.g. slots or compartments, and
a plurality of containers holding a liquid, mounted on the support at the positions, and provided with a pump and/or a valve for dispensing the liquid from the container.
The invention further relates to a cartridge to be releasably mounted in the apparatus.
Background of the Related Art
US 2006/0169718 relates to a dispenser apparatus including a centrally located vertically mounted column assembly. A plurality of canisters is cantilever mounted to the column assembly. Each canister has a receptacle for holding a fluid and each receptacle includes a corresponding pump for dispensing fluid held therein. The dispenser apparatus also includes a stationary dispensing station having a mechanism for selectively actuating the pump for dispensing fluid held in the receptacle. A mechanism is also provided for engaging a portion of a canister to align a pump corresponding to a receptacle to the stationary dispensing station, wherein the fluid held in the receptacle may be dispensed.
Similar apparatuses are known from WO 2010/113008, WO 2005/107933, WO 2005/039747, EP 800 858, EP 1 134 186, and EP 1 090 679. U.S. Pat. No. 2,094,702 discloses a color mixing machine comprising a plurality of containers mounted on a vertical support.
EP 1 772 710 discloses a metering cap (10) comprising a body (11) and a metering disc (15) rotatably mounted between two surfaces (20, 24) of the body. The metering disc (15) has at least one hole or cavity (18) that can be filled with a unit volume of powder through a first opening (21) in a first angular position of the metering disc. By rotation of this disc by means of a gear wheel (17) solidly attached to a drive shaft (16) and to the metering disc (15), the powder held in the cavity (18) can be discharged through a second opening (23) and an exit channel (22) in a second angular position. The metering cap is intended to be fitted on each of the powder bottles employed in a station for preparing mixtures of powders. In the description (paragraphs [0046] and [0067]) it stated that the metering cap could be used, not only for powders of any grain size but also for more or less pasty substances and even for liquids. EP 1 772 710 provides no information on how this could be effected.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for dispensing a plurality of liquids, in particular colorants for paint, that is more operator friendly.